Howdy...to torque or not to torque?

[wiggy762]

New here...lurker for a while, bought an 88 NA w/ 67k original miles. I love my awesome white car!

No BHG or warning signs, but was wondering (after an extensive search) if it is a good idea to make certain the bolts are properly torqued to 72 ft/lbs?

 

[benchwarmer]

Yes. They usually blow around 80k.

 

[foreverpsycotic]

NO, if the HG is fine leave it. Do not retorque it now, you will be sorry. If you have the money, and another car to drive, get the block and head machined and install a MHG and ARP studs.

 

[AJ'S 88NA]

NO, if the HG is fine leave it. Do not retorque it now, you will be sorry. If you have the money, and another car to drive, get the block and head machined and install a MHG and ARP studs.

I agree, retorqueing a old HG is asking for trouble. the water jackets get brittle with age and you would probably cause it to leak now. I had my stock HG last 96k miles and it wasn't blown then without retorque.

Wow, 67k orig. miles is almost unheard of nowadays. Nice find and welcome to the club.:icon_bigg

 

[Doward]

I would at least check them. It saved my first head gasket (just go slow)

 

[AJ'S 88NA]

I would at least check them. It saved my first head gasket (just go slow)

I think this has been disscused in another thread not to long ago, and I beleive the concensus was if you were to retorque to do it very slow in small increments. I think if it was me I wouldn't take the chance of causing it to leak when it dosen't leak now. How do you mean check them Doward? To check to see if they are loose?

 

[wiggy762]

I agree, retorqueing a old HG is asking for trouble. the water jackets get brittle with age and you would probably cause it to leak now. I had my stock HG last 96k miles and it wasn't blown then without retorque.

Wow, 67k orig. miles is almost unheard of nowadays. Nice find and welcome to the club.:icon_bigg

Thanks...I am way too excited about my awesome white car! I have wanted this car since I sold new Toyotas in Topeka, KS. in 1987 as a college student. My wife thinks it is something of a mid-life crisis.:naughty:

I have some mechanical aptitude and an wicked set of tools, the TSRM on-line with a laptop and WiFi, and the eventual desire to build a 300+ hp car over the next few years. She is not my daily driver so I can take my time and build it up right.

This site seems to be an excellent resource and does not seem to have an equal on the net....I am fortiunate to have found this resource. Thanks in advance to all for your patience in putting up with my incessant questions and possibly stupid posts.



Anyways..back to my original question. It seems the consensus is equally split between check/tighten and don't fix it if it ain't broke.

Anything further?

 

[Ma70.Ent]

I just waited for my HG to blow. I caught it really quickly and replaced it and I've had no problems ever since. Don't fix it if it isn't broken is what I've been told.

 

[dugums]

It sounds like you are going to be upgrading some things in the near future. If you are going to be adding power, an original HG with stock torque isn't likely to hold.

It would seem to me your plans should include a HG replacement and ARP bolts or studs before adding power. This should be the primary step in your upgrade plan.

Until then, just leave it alone and monitor it closely. Don't think of a retorque as some sort of stopgap. Keep in mind that a BHG is not always apparent. My 80k mile turbo did not show signs of a BHG, but when I tore it apart, it was clear there was a small leak. If I had not done it as preventative maintenance it would have definitely failed more severely with time, possibly costing me much more.

I'm just a noob here, but that is what I have taken from this site.